B’nai B’rith International calls for the renewal of the Federal Assault Weapons Ban.

Congress passed a 10-year ban on assault weapons in 1994. It was not renewed when it expired on Sept. 13, 2004. When the ban was on the brink of expiring, 1,100 police chiefs and sheriffs nationwide urged it be renewed and even strengthened.

We now encourage Congress to quickly enact a ban on assault weapons.

Assault weapons automatically expel and load ammunition with each pull of the trigger, enabling the shooter to fire multiple rounds without stopping to reload. The ability to fire large amounts of ammunition quickly should be limited to a military environment.

For nearly 40 years B'nai B'rith has supported effective national gun control legislation, passing resolutions favoring firearms control policies.

Mass shootings such as the July 20 movie theater attack in Aurora, Colo., remind us of the massive lethal force of these types of weapons. The gunman, armed with assault weapons, opened fire in a crowded movie theater, killing at least 12 and wounding at least 38. He had reportedly purchased 6,000 rounds of ammunition in the months leading up to his rampage.